What is Variant Analysis?

Variant analysis from an EBBS perspective involves systematically identifying and describing all attested textual variations in a given fragment, without prior judgment on their "correctness." It encompasses lexical, morphological, syntactic, and semantic variations, along with their manuscript range and transmission context. Each variation is treated as a distinct unit of data, and its epistemic significance is assessed solely in relation to the research question. This analysis does not yet lead to textual reconstruction or theological conclusions, but creates an organized space of possible readings, providing a foundation for subsequent stages of textual criticism and controlled interpretation.

loannis Ioannidis | pexels.com